New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-02
THE DRAMA-MCSIC.
IyCEUM THEATRE-THE WIFE.

! LYCEUM THEATRE-TlE WIFE.
Undor the Old and well. worn title OF 1.-The Wife anew
piece in two acts. was presented last night In the Ly
: ceum Theatre. where it vewed with interest and
received with courteous and laughter by as large
an audience "a that cosey little house will contain THIS
piece /, the work OF Mr. David Bclasco and Mr. Henry
G. DE Mile II duplicates fourteen inliviiuas; us
scene 4, laid at Newport and Washington. in
the present day; and its dialogue Is written mostly in
strain OF that commonplace colloqny which Is as
sumed TO be characteristic OF fashionable society In
It's superficial mood and general habit mo art
standard OF the authors OF Tine WIFE when
Is also The art standard OF many contemporary drama
tsts-may be inferred from this latter particular To
reflect persons OF everyday life and to make them con-
verse in everyday manner seems generally to DO
thought sufficient nj the ambition OF the playwright
and 10 SATISFY the taste OF the public This was not The
limitation OF rOngrcye and sheridan high nd splendid
models dram Itc writingwhO taught and Ia isht with
results OF great value and significance that come y,
while II sho i'd be- 10 actual lie and should ba
faithful picture OF living manners. shout ass he made
p-eniia over the mind the heart and the Imagination by
delicate ideal touches and fine strain Of exaggeration
should no mado entertaining by cquivoque. and should
he male impressive by the fibre OF strong thought an
q sparkle or trenchant AMI brilliant language. That
oil method OF writing comedy although 1t has been
followed by tho best writer's AMI il still sometimes at
tempted appears have given place 10 the far inferior
and eoscr method Of literary and theatrical pho
Biography This method pursued with rather more than
ordinary insipdy is illustrated in this come
dy Of THE Wife,
the title only that is old The ground plan or
the piece has been used often and long that has
become clothed all over with the moss AMI Ivy OF an
tiquiiy A girl parts from her lover IN moment OF
piaua: weIs with another mln.-o whom she gives her
hand but not her heart-suhsequcntly meets her Oh
fame and fin Is that she is still fond ~ him causes lit
tie social tatlc by being AMI then n his company
admit to her husband that her juvenile fondne'' for this
early sutton s fingers her feelings AMI 50 causes that
worthy unoasness; but winds up by
casting her gr,h fancy to the winds and avowing h'r
self fond wife we'll "a faithful ono "lhe guests
think they have seen him befor-" they have And
they have be ore heard the last lines the text:
ASA soldier II +, my business to make willows aad'
He'll has fury Ike a woman scorn'L' Inc strength
o. this play Is is novelty AMI yet for the audience
that fond Of sentimental confectionery and anc farce
T. possesses certain kind OF strength IheFc are people
who Ike even bsed srrow-rOo-
Thi, IS The story. Helen Freeman the only daughter
OF -uas Freeman. loved Robert Grey and by him was
beloved Robert Grey had ilted Lucille Fcnar OF New
Orleans Lucille nforue Helen ot this fact AMI Helen
there rcpndiatsi Rsbor Grey and welded Win JShn
Rutherford. OF tho United states senate Matthew CuI-
YER politician hostile to Robert Grey in politics and
at the bar an v.hfu to defeat Roberts ATTEMPT TO get
an office persuaded Lucille TO apprs- John Rutherfori
that Robert AMI Helen had once been lovers by many
persons thought 10 be stu John Rutherford in
vo,gatcd this matter discovered that Culver had MALE
iOsly meany made all the fnlSfhlcl ana hoo
and Helen innocent Of all hut sentimental at
tachment: whercupon he rcbuked Culver had a frank
talk with Robert, advised him to stick To his legal eus
ncs. and presently procured bis appointment to lHcra
tive Office: while the be assured Helen Of his
delicate consideration for her feelings and his in
tcniion to taKo good care OF her MI Cu-
yer then went sonth Americ. md STAYED
and Miss Ferant repaired 10 the south ot France
while Eohert Grey greatly di,tneushcd himself by his
lAhorious diligence Ia the pablo service Mr. Euher'
ford after this stated that his lie rt contained nothing but
blooIe,s ashes and he sat up every night until late
hour srlavns his wes love until observing MS de-
lection Helen moved 10 discover HAT her previous
fancy for Mr.. Grey had been grSh Inhalation AID
aro her "calr. peaceful and eternal love for hor
husband Mr. ard Mrs Rutherford then sailed for
Europe aboard the Alaska. Incidentally appeared mat
Jack Dexter and Kitty Ives ciidy things though bright
aud COOL were lovers but that kiy's mother dd net
approve % their engagement. until after Jack had
smtchcd his face with bit OF smoked gas and also that
all the concerned IN these mementsus occurrences
once saw an eclipse OF the IN the city OF Washington
To speak ously almost every person IN this piece
coloi!rss yapd ami insignificant Scarcely one char
aeter exhibits the slightest natural sequence be-
tween motive and csnduci. Given two young people
who love each other you could not possibly separate
them by conurng up tho bugDsar OF previous attach
meut Nothing ths world Is dead a. the love
that once died and lover nstisctvely knows
The separation absurd the subsequent marriage In
credible the conduct ~ the jsd lady irrational tho
mdng ht Inquiry OF Senator ludcrously foolish the
assumed gravity OF tho elimination unwarrnntch ami
the total that OF elaborate trning with serious
things. The piece ought e. no called The HUSBAND
NOT the wifi, for IL "a senator Rutherford who centres tho
interest such "a It l. The SCENE between the three men
IN tho library Is preposterous, but toat OF huthrF
lorl's talk with his wife contains sug
ge.tlon OF rational aud fine manlines', only
II makes IA bother about nothing. lie would not have
needed an outside assurance or his we's predic' hon.
and ia rcal lfc he would have made no crisis II Is all
forced unnatural AMI nmsy. Mr. fToAman has
oeautful theatre and superior dramatic company. All
that II needed now IA ienlJ strong ana nae
ula,. giving his people chance 10 90 some
lining worth doing such actors Ought not 10 10
frittered away upon sentimental fhstiua'
THE Wlfe' was ~ beautifully set ana SO
ably aud brilliantly aotcl that II derived l'n
it, accessories degree OF Importance
intrinsicllly undcscrvec Miss Georgia tayNhh
was warmly greeted and her impsrsouatou OF the VIE
revealed deep feeling aud The gfareu hr' lhal
have made her a fayoritc actress Grace ltrhNeI-"u
enacted tho woman who makes the mischief hut no
woman with lace 40 bsauuul and voice 50 deh'ous
could over have been iilted by anybody. VT Henry
MIN or was cXtravagan and noisy lover; Mr. hrc.y
elegant tender. manly aud rne as the husband; Mt 10
MOyuc humorous rs the Major